EelKat
Maine
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Joined: 07/27/2010
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I was a "fulltimer" for 9 years back in the 1970s. (I lived in a 1964 Dodge). I never did any cross country traveling, and basically lived in a different town on Maine every week, and over the years have lived in practically every town and city in Maine at one point or another. I love Maine, I never had any desire to go any place else. I was born and raised in Maine, and am a full time resident of Maine, I just didn't live in a house and made the entire state my home and I loved it. So, I guess I'm sort of weird when it comes to fulltiming, because I always hear others saying the "whole reason" for fulltimeing is to travel from one side of the country to the other. Well, okay, that's great if you like traveling, but, that's just not my style. Anyways I did this for 9 years, and than everything changed.
I gave it up for a "normal" lifestyle because that's what all my friends and family and my 264 relatives told me I was "supposed" to do. I will point out at this point, that my relatives until the 1960s were gypsies - in race and culture and lifestyle. We all lived together in a caravan of cars, vans, campers, and buses - all 264 of us, aunts, uncles, cousins, in laws, each couple with no less than 8 children, one wife with 15 children and there were 4 polygamists in the group, thus why there were so many children over all. I was still a baby back than, so I have no actual memories of living in the big caravan group, which disbanded when I was just 2 years old.
Anyways, the whole kit and kaboodle of them, went their separate ways and took up "normal" lifestyles with houses and jobs and living the whole "American Dream" thing. They shun the "gypsy lifestyle" and go out of their way to hide their race and culture. Me, I guess I sort of had lingering memories of that life, even though I was still a baby when the whole thing ended, because by the 1970's I had started living on the road as mentioned above. I did that for 9 years, but than gave it up to live a "normal" life with a house and a car and a job. I did this because my relatives were very persistent and very good at making me feel guilty about not being "a normal person".
Anyways fast forward to today, 34 years later. I tried to "live a normal life" doing the whole living in a house and having neighbors and working at Macy's part time and selling Avon part time and writing part time. I tried to "fit in" and for 20 years I have been miserable! I've gotten more and more depressed with each passing. In the past couple of years I became suicidal. I could not understand why. I mean, I had a "normal" life. In theory I have the "perfect" life, or so I was being told. I should be happy, right? This past year I've done some serious soul searching to try to figure out what was causing my depression, and it occurred to me, that it started when I moved into a house! It got worse when I got a "regular" job and started living a so-called "normal" life.
Than last summer some one asked me: "Why do you do what your family tells you to do? Why don't you do what you want to do? Why do you care what they think? Look at them, they are far from happy with their own lives. They are only busy bodies trying to control your life, because misery loves company and they are miserable and they were jealous of seeing you happy so tried to make you be miserable right along with them."
Hearing that was a real eye opener. I started looking at the people telling me how to live my life, and realizing, OMG! They are not happy! I never even noticed it before. I was too busy trying to do everything they were telling me I was supposed to be doing, to even step back and look at why they were so bent on telling me what to do.
Suddenly it occurred to me: I have spent the past 20 odd years doing what OTHER PEOPLE told me I SHOULD be doing instead of doing what I WANTED to be doing.
But than I had to ask myself, if I could do anything, anything at all, what WOULD I be doing?
The answer: I never would have stopped living in a car on the side of the road. I never would have stopped going from the bottom of Maine to the top of Maine and back, year after year. I never would have stopped going from one Maine beach to the next week after week, each week living at a different beach. I would still be bunking down in fishing villages and eating at fishing shacks and conversing with fishermen on the docks. I would still be parking the car at nature preserves and spending hour after hour hiking through Maine's glorious green forests. I would still be eating soggy sandwiches out of the trunk of my car, while photographing Maine wildlife. I would still be sleeping under the stars, without a tent on the ground with nothing but a sleeping bag, and listening to crickets chirping. I would still be doing what I loved best of all: living close to nature. I would still be happy if I had not giving up this "fulltimer" lifestyle I had had all those years ago.
I guess I'm just a nomad at heart and settling down in one spot, is simply not for me. And so, I am spending 2010 getting my life "in order", paying off bills, getting rid of stuff, downsizing big time, getting my car fixed up and ready to become a full time road trip car, and seeking out the "perfect travel trailer" to suit my needs. And by this time next year, I will be back on the road, back in the life style I love, back to living full time without a house and calling once again the entire state of Maine my home address.
Sorry for the long story. But I just needed to tell this to some one who would understand the need to live houseless and on the road, and at the moment none of my friends or family understand me or my desire to live this nomad lifestyle, they think I have lost my mind, literally, they keep setting up appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists! The doctors have pointed out, that it is my relatives and not me who have some serious mental issues here, because as the doctors have pointed out: I'm in my 40's and these relatives (uncles, aunts, and distant cousins, some of whom I've never even met because they live in Utah and I live in Maine!) have no right to tell me how to run my life, and the fact that they have gone so far as to call in doctors is proof itself that they are suffering from a serious condition (I forget what he called it) that causes them to need to be in control of everything around them. WOW! You know what, in a way, I'm glad they sent me to all these doctors...now I know that I'm not crazy for wanting to live the lifestyle I want to live, and what's more, now I am able to look at the people who stopped me from living the life I wanted to live and realize, they have no say over anything I do and I don't have to listen to them. What a load off my mind that is! (I know, I should have thought of that on my own and I feel stupid for never thinking of it. I guess sometimes we just need an unbiased outsider to force us to see things as they really are!)
But anyways, I was wondering, is there any one here who has ever had a similar problem? Did you live a fulltime rv lifestyle and give up on it for some silly reason than go back to it years later? Did you dream of doing it for years but put it off because family/friends made you feel guilty for wanting this life? If so, please share your story about what stopped you and how you got back into it.
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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EelKat wrote:.....I gave it up for a "normal" lifestyle.... "normal" lifestyles... I did that for 9 years, but than gave it up to live a "normal" life with a house and a car and a job. I did this because my relatives were very persistent and very good at making me feel guilty about not being "a normal person".....Anyways fast forward to today, 34 years later. I tried to "live a normal life" .... I could not understand why. I mean, I had a "normal" life..... I got a "regular" job and started living a so-called "normal" life.
Define 'normal'!
Truely one of the few words that can not be definitively described.
IMHO everthing revolves around what 'normal' means to each individual.
We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
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JDelauter
Leesburg, FL, USA
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Joined: 07/05/2003
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Good for you EelKat. I spent many years of my life doing what I was told to do and have embraced the nomad lifestyle with vigor. Get that car ready and hit the road. Not sure if we'll hit Maine but perhaps somewhere down the road we'll run into one another.
Retired SMCM(MDV) USN 30 years
3 'Nam Tours
As of 11/04 Full-Timing with:
2003 Gulfstream Friendship, Quad slide
1 lovely wife
and 1 sassy Bichon
JDelauter@aol.com
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More To See
San Diego Area
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Joined: 06/12/2009
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There is a tremendous amount of social pressure on all of us to be "normal." The farther you stray from what others find comfortable the more the pressure is applied.
And family can be the absolutely worst in this regard. They have a special hook inside you and will use it to their full ability.
What good is a life that makes everybody else feel comfortable if you are miserable.
We should all march to our own drummer. I suspect there would not be too many actors, artists, or musicians if society had its way. Society is comfortable with doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
Hang in there and good luck with your travel plans.
95 Winnebago Vectra 34 (P30/454)
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Wayne and Maureen
East Coast, USA
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Joined: 03/13/2004
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So all your relatives left the gypsy way...all 264 of them separated and went their separate ways to take up normal living. You are talking about real gypsies that I remember my Grandmother running out of the chicken coup all of them with a chicken in hand. I hope you are real cause you are fun to read. 
wayne
Wayne and Maureen
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steelpony5555
Copperas Cove Texas
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Joined: 10/26/2007
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I really don't think back then living in a car could be classified as full-timing. Next we'll be calling the guy who lives under the bridge a full-timer. Man that I-35 bridge you got there is one nice rig. Sorry just my opinion. Now buying a TT and hitting the road, ok I'll buy that. Most places now days will frown on someone living in a car.
03 Alpenlite Valhalla
07 Dodge 2500 Lone Star Edition 5.9 diesel
07 Honda Goldwing Burnt orange of course! (My new Baby)
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Texas Boomers---Stop by for a Margie some time!
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korbe
Northern California
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Joined: 11/20/2009
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I am curious as to how you finance the lifestyle?
2004 F250 SD PSD
2004 Crossroads Cruiser CF25RS
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BradinOhio
Akron, Ohio
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Joined: 04/02/2004
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Life is too short not to be happy. They say that, "In an insane world, a sane man (woman) would surely seem insane." I say live your life for you, not them. Good luck!
Brad, Sandy, and Amber (shephard)
'07 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 with 5.4L V8 and 3.73LS gears
'10 Keystone Passport UL 245RB ('07 Rockwood Roo 21SS prior)
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tonyandkaren
pennsylvania
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Joined: 05/15/2005
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Yep , there are always going to some friends and relatives who will think that you're crazy and try to guilt you out of following your dreams if they differ from "normal". It's your life so just go live it - they'll get used to it even if they never stop thinking that you're a little crazy.
We had a short stint at fulltiming back in 1976 but quit so that our daughter could go to school but we never gave up the desire to be back on the road. Having that goal in mind we managed to save a lot of money because we didn't make frivolous purchases or buy new things before the old ones were worn out.
Good luck!
* This post was
edited 07/27/10 01:07pm by tonyandkaren *
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sjptak
North in Summer, South in Winter
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Joined: 05/23/2004
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rockhillmanor wrote:
Define 'normal'!
Truely one of the few words that can not be definitively described.
IMHO everthing revolves around what 'normal' means to each individual.
I would think definitively that normalcy is nothing more than a state of mind. Fulltiming can't even be defined definitively on these forums, though.
Off to See the Lizard
'99 Four Winds 30' Class C
'97 GEO Tracker
'63 Honda 305 Dream
1947 Wife
1949 Me
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